The ACT Interest Inventory

One of the most difficult tasks faced by adolescents—and by adults considering a career change—is to find occupations appropriate to their goals and personal characteristics.

The ACT Interest Inventory (also called “UNIACT”) helps focus the career exploration process. Rather than singling out one “right” occupation, the inventory points to areas of the world of work that individuals may wish to explore. Through exploration, people can find occupations they might otherwise have missed.

What Makes the ACT Interest Inventory Different?

This inventory emphasizes activities (for example, conducting a meeting or exploring a science museum) that are familiar and career-relevant. In contrast to most other interest inventories, the ACT Interest Inventory does not use occupational titles or specific job duties that may be unfamiliar to people in the early stages of career exploration.

The inventory provides scores on six scales that parallel John Holland’s well-known interest and occupational types. It then links those results to career options via the ACT World-of-Work Map.

Want to learn more? The ACT Interest Inventory Technical Manual(PDF, 68 pages) features several chapters describing more than 20 years of research supporting the reliability and validity of this inventory.

How Can I Take the ACT Interest Inventory?

The inventory is not available as a stand-alone service. However, each year more than three million people complete this survey as a first step in exploring career options.

The interest inventory is a key component of several ACT services, such as: